Andrew Garfield: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

British actor Andrew Garfield is returning to play Peter Parker and his alter-ego, the Amazing Spider-Man, again.

Garfield’s portrayal of the webbed wonder re-invigorated the franchise, putting it once again firmly at the top of the box office. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hasn’t started filming yet, but it’s little surprise that Garfield was brought back to reprise his role; his first time around grossed millions worldwide.

Spidey’s hot real-life girlfriend Emma Stone, who was Gwen Stacy in the first flick, hasn’t yet signed on for the sequel. Here’s hoping he can urge her to come back. The film has been tagged to open in May 2014.

1. Garfield Isn’t Really British

British accent and all, Andrew Garfield is really an American. He was born in Los Angeles, but his family moved to England when he was only three years old. Good thing, since Spider-Man is really an American, too.

2. He’s a Skater-Boy

Garfield has been a skateboard enthusiast most of his life. So when he was named as Toby Maguire’s replacement in the Spider-Man franchise, he fought for Peter Parker to love skateboards too. He and director Marc Webb worked skateboards into the film, and the newest Spider-Man even performed a few of his own skateboarding tricks, and helped plan out a lot of the sequences.

There are elements that I feel are mine, which is so nice because as an actor you don’t really get to feel that. I called Spike Jonze and got hooked up with these two genius skateboard guys. Just being able to call him and saying “I want Peter Parker to skate,” and him saying “I’ve got this great double for you,” those are the coolest things, the magic moments and watching it edited, saying “I did that. I have a hand in it.” It is nice to feel that. Actors rarely get to feel that.

3. He’s Not Afraid of Heights

That’s a good thing, because playing Spidey involves being on a lot of heights. But when there one time when he was on an incline, climbing a wall while wearing a harness and he missed a hold and says he thought he was “going to die.”

4. He’s Played an Icon of Sorts Before

Before Garfield donned the Spidey suit, his break-out role was as Eduardo Saverin in “The Social Network.” Saverin, of course, was involved in the co-founding of that monster we all love, Facebook. But Garfield’s never met the fellow he played so well, but says if he gets to Singapore — where Saverin went when Facebook went public — he’ll have a beer with him.

5. He’s Been on Broadway

Last May, in some of the last months before he became a household name for swinging from a web, Garfield starred in a revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman on Broadway alongside Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play won the Tony Award for the best revival, and Hoffman and Garfield packed theaters in their roles.

6. He’s a New Yorker Now

Garfield says his friends are all back in London, but he lives in the Big Apple now, following his stint on Broadway and his top-grossing films, “The Social Network” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.” And he says he loves his new hometown.

7. He’s Still Dating Emma Stone

Lucky bastard. They starred together in the first Spider-Man reboot, and haven’t been apart much since. She hasn’t signed back on yet, but it’s hard to imagine that she won’t — those two are awfully close for her to back out. Plus, being lovebirds aside — it’s a huge, huge franchise and she’d be a fool to pass it up.

8. He Was Into Gymnastics Until a Fat Kid Sat on Him

The actor says he thought about being an athlete, but remembers a “horribly traumatic experience where this fat guy sat on my back while I was doing the splits.” His mother eventually came to his rescue, and he says he still stuck with gymnastics, but the incident still stuck with him (probably like the fat guy’s ass.)

But the gymnastic experience probably prepared him to play Spider-Man, and he told Interview magazine:

“The first time I ever did a back-flip was one of the greatest moments. It was kind of incredible. I felt superhuman for a second. I tried to carry on to achieve that again, but it takes a lot of work to feel superhuman.”

9. He Has Loved Spider-Man Since He Was a Kid

Garfield has watched all of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and he thinks he is taking on something “greater than me.” He also wants to be sure that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are “treated with the reverence that I have for them.” At 28, Garfield was still a teenager when the first film came out.

10. He’s Good Friends With Other Hot-Shot Actors

Garfield counts Social Network co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, who played Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and everybody’s favorite vampire, Robert Pattinson, as two of his close friends.